"Joe is very, very excited for the season," Linta said Tuesday. "He's really adamant about getting the Ravens to the next step. The contract, at this point, is secondary to that goal. Joe has the attitude that he'll earn it."

Flacco has become a polarizing figure for the Ravens, though it must be remembered he would have been a Super Bowl quarterback if Lee Evans had held on to his perfectly thrown ball in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.

Unlike with players working under the franchise tag, a long-term deal for Flacco can get done at any point this year. The Times previously reported there were "major obstacles" in negotiations, but Linta isn't sounding the alarm.

"We've had great conversations, and we're going to keep talking," Linta said. "Everything is good. We're going to keep talking, keep the lines of communication open."

If nothing changes before the end of the season, the Ravens will have three choices: 1) Give him a long-term deal. 2) Apply the franchise tag to him. 3) Let him walk via free agency.

We don't expect the third option to happen, but Flacco might be heading toward one last audition to prove he's Baltimore's franchise guy.